We scoured the country to find places, things and activities that speak to the real America. Some of them are fairly obscure; some of them are not. But they're all fun and diverse, and reveal the genuine U.S.

Missouri

By Reed TuckerMonday, July 13, 2009

Certain unexplained phenomena are actually easy to explain. Bigfoot: man in a furry suit. Loch Ness Monster: man with a toy submarine. Tori Spelling's career: deal with the devil. Now go and try to explain Missouri's Spook Light. If you can, you'll be the first. The floating ball of light has been appearing nights along a dark stretch of road near Joplin since at least 1866. It's still being spotted today, and no one has any explanation, though many have been proffered. Reflection of car headlights? It was seen before cars were invented. Marsh gas? Hardly. Will-o'-the-wisp? Not with this intensity. See it for yourself, preferably with someone you can squeeze tight.